Gate-hinge.



FRED WIEDERRECHT, OF WAPELLO, IOWA.

GATE-HINGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 15, 191%.

Application filed June 12, 1916. Serial No. 103,212.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Finn) Wmonmincn'r, a citizen of the United States, and resident of VVapcllo, in the county of Louisa and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Gate-Hinges, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to hinges for gates of buildings, walls, or fences, and relates more particularly to hinge means whereby the gate may be raised and lowered and maintained in an adjusted position to swing or oscillate laterally.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a hinge by which the gate may be temporarily adjusted in an upright direction or maintained against casual displacement in such an adjusted position. A hinge means constructed according to my invention is well adapted for use about farms where the ground is apt to become frozen or covered to some extent with snow or ice, since the gate may be readily raised to swing over such, as well as barn litter, or other obstructions. The gate may also be adjusted to serve as an obstacle to the passage of cattle or larger animals, but permit smaller animals to pass thereunder.

Other objects of my invention will appear in the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which drawing: I

Figure 1 is an elevation of a gate and the posts or jambs of an opening, said gate be ing carried by hinge means, constructed according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is anenlarged fragmentary elevation of portion of binge members constructed according to my invention.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4.-at of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, Where similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the various views, A. designates a post or jamb at one side of an opening, and B, the other post or jamb; C a gate; D an upper hinge structure including a keeper E; and F a lower hinge structure.

VVhile I have herein shown the invention as applied to posts A and B, such as are used in fences, it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to gates or obstructions of any suitable type, used in connection with the openings of barns or other houses, fences, or walls, the term jamb referring to the vertical side of an opening.

As shown, the gate may comprise uprights 5 and 6, joined by upper and lower bars 7 and 8, respectively, and intermediate bars 9.

Referring first to the upperhinge structure D, it may include, in addition to the keeper E, a hinge member 10, carried by one of the members of the barrier, such as the gate; and, a second hinge member 12, carried by the other member of the barrier, such as the post or jamb B. The member 10 may be made of band iron to provide a circular eye 13 as clearly indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1, or may be cast to provide said eye, and may be perforated as at 11, to receive the bolt 15 by which it is secured to the gate G. The U-shaped hinge member 19. includes an upright 16 to extend longitudinally of the post or jamb A, and arms 17 by which it is secured to said member. The arms 17 may be pointed at their free ends to be driven into the post or jamb, as is now common practice, in connection with certain types of hinge members, or the upright 16 may be secured to the post or j amb in any suitable manner.

I prefer to form the upright 16 polygonal in cross section, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1, this upright extending freely through the eye 13 of binge member 10, for purposes to be subsequently set forth.

As to the keeper E, it is designed to retain the hinge member 10 in an adjusted position with respect to upright 16, and may comprise a U-shaped member 18, the arms 19 of which embrace the upright 16; a lever 20 including a wedge 21, pivoted adjacent one of the arms 19; a bolt 22 extending through the arms 19 adjacent the free ends thereof; and a nut 23 for said bolt. In the example shown, the bolt 22 may serve as a pivot for the lever 20, the wedge portion 91 of which is so shaped as to'fit between the arm 19 and upright 16, as clearly shown in Fig. at of the drawing, at which time the free end of lever 20 is adjacent the upright 16. The free end of the lever 20 is provided with a perforation 2st, through which a chain, or other flexible member, (not shown in the drawing), may be passed, and securely locked about upright 16 to prevent disturbance of the adjustment by unauthor' ized persons.

Referring now to the lower hinge struc ture F, it may comprise a hinge member 25 similar to hinge member 10, secured to the gate C and including an eye 26; and a second hinge member 27 similar to hinge member 12, and including an upright 28 extending through eye 26.

Referring now to th operation of the hinge means, it is to be observed that the uprights l6 and 28 are elongated and extend longitudinally of the post or jamb A. It is preferred to form the upright 28 polygonal in cross section, as is the upright 16. Assuming that the gate is in the position indicated by dotted lines, in order to 'aise and retain it temporarily in an adjusted position, the operator has merely to grasp the gate, as at the longitudinal members S) and to one side of the center thereof, nearest the hinge means, and raise upon the gate structure. Upon releasing the hold on the gate it will remain in the position set, and may be oscillated a number of times without dropping materially, owing to the polygonal cross section of the uprights, as hereinbet'ore described,.and the eyes 13 and 26 embracing said uprights. If the gate has been raised too high, the operator has merely to grasp the gate, at one side of the center thereot, remote from the hinge means and it may be lowered.

' If it is desired to retain the gate in an adjusted position, against casual displacement, by swinging the lever 20, in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 8, the wedge portion 21 will swing out of operative relation to the arms 19 and upright 16, the lever being pivoted eccentrically to the member 18, which permits said member 18 to move freely longitudinally of upright 16. By raising the gate to the position desired, with the lower longitudinal member 8 thereof at the desired distance from the ground, the

' operator can temporarily retain it in such position by the eye 13 impinging upon the upright 16. The keeper E may then be raised until its upper portion engages the under side of the hinge member 10, whereupon the lever 20 may be swung in a direction counter to that indicated by arrow in Fig. 3.

he wedge 21 then acts upon the arms 19 adjacent to which it is disposed and the upright 16 retaining the member 18 in a position supporting the hinge member 10.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention; but,

I claim 1. In a hinge of the character described, the combination of a vertically movable member provided with an eye, and a relatively fixed member including an upright extending through said eye to rotatably support the first member, said upright being polygonal in cross-section to provide biting edges thereabout, and said movable member being adapted to be raised and said eye being adapted to be canted on the upright for binding the eye against said edges to-hold the movable member in raised position.

2. In a hinge of the character described, the combination of a member provided With an eye, a second member including an upright extending through the said eye of said first member, said eye rotatable thereon, a U-shaped element with its arms embracing the said upright of said second mentioned member, and upon which the said member with eye may rest, and a lever including a wedge pivotally carried by one of the arms ofsaid U-sbaped member, said wedge to fit between the said arms and the upright, to retain said Ushaped member in adjusted position with respect to said upright.

3. In a hinge of the character described, the combination of a member provided with an eye, a second member including an upright extending through the said eye of said second mentioned member, said eye rotatable on said upright, a U-shaped element with its arms embracing the said upright of said second mentioned member and upon which the said member with eye may rest, and a lever including a wedge pivotally can ried by one oi? the arms of the U-shaped member, said wedge to fit between the said arms and the upright to retain said member in an adjusted position with respect to the said upright of said second mentioned member, said lever provided with an opening adjacent its free end, and adapted to lie with its free end adjacent the said upright when the wedge is acting upon said U-shaped member and upright to receive a locking device therethrough and about the upright to retain the lever in adjusted position.

4. In a hinge of the character described, the combination of a member provided with an eye, a second member including an upright extending through the said eye of said first mentioned member, said eye rotatable on said upright, a U-shapcd member with its arms embracing the said upright of said second mentioned member, and upon which the said member with said eye may rest, a bolt extending through the freeend portions of the said U-shaped member, a nut for said bolt exteriorly of one arm, and a lever pivotally carried by the said bolt and arm and to fit between the said arm and the upright to retain said U-shaped member in an adjusted position with respect to said upright. said nut being adapted to be adjusted for clamping the arm against the lever to take up wear upon the same and the upright.

FRED WIEDERRECHT. 

